Dan Polletta on Wynton Marsalis

Aired January 28, 2000

A number of memorable live jazz recordings have taken place at the Village Vanguard. The albums recorded by Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane in the small basement Greenwich Village club are among jazz's most celebrated live sessions.

Ever the traditionalist, Wynton Marsalis has added his name to the list of illustrious performers whose Vanguard performances have been committed to disc. Seven discs, in fact. Columbia has recently released "Live at the Village Vanguard" featuring the trumpeter and his septet, captured at various times over a four year period in this seven CD box. The discs are separated into a make believe week-long run, with each night having a loose "theme." Wynton's band features a changing cast, with standout performances by alto saxophonist Wes Anderson, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and pianists Marcus Roberts and Eric Reed.

Marsalis and crew explore standard material like "I'll Remember April," "Stardust," and "Embraceable You." Monk is well represented with "Misterioso" and "Bright Mississippi." Ellington is acknowledged with the both the familiar, "In a Sentimental Mood", and the obscure, "Play the Blues and Go." The trumpeter contributes several pieces, including music from his Pulitzer Prize winning work "Blood on the Fields." The band revisits "Pedro's Getaway" from Marsalis' soundtrack for the film, "Tune In Tomorrow", plus several selections from the trilogy, "Soul Gestures in Southern Blue."

The performances throughout the box are looser than one might find on a comparable studio date for the septet, but are no less polished. They showcase the trumpeter and band in a setting that permitted them to be expansive and expressive in their work.

One other note: don't be scared by what you expect to be a steep price for a seven disc box. To its credit, Columbia has reduced the cost drastically for the collection. Hopefully, other labels will take notice.